Air conditioned telephone booth



s E n m m MR o V n n M A w 3 H 4 N NY C B a v P g April 16, 1957 P. H.SHERRON AIR CONDITIONED TELEPHONE BOOTH Filed May 6 1953 FIG. 2.

United if'tates Patent AIR CONDITIONED TELEPHONE BOOTH Percival H.Sharron, Jamaica, N. if.

Application May 6, 1953, Serial No. 353,264

4 Claims. (Cl. 62-14tl) This invention relates to an air conditionedtelephone booth.

It is an object of this invention to provide an air conditioning systemfor a telephone booth in which conditioned air is circulated within thebooth during periods of use of the booth and in which the cooling airemployed in the operation of the air conditioning system is drawn fromthe outside of the booth and returned to the outside of the booth afterbeing passed through the elements rcquiring cooling.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a compartmentedceiling structure for a telephone booth in which there is mounted an airconditioning system.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an air conditioningsystem in which moisture condensed on the refrigerated coils is carriedoutside of the booth thus providinga reduction in humidity within thebooth during the air conditioning period.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an air conditioningapparatus arranged to operate only during those periods when the boothis in use and the door is closed.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing description when read in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a telephone booth in.- corporating theinvention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the underside of the ceilingstructure of the booth;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the upperside of the ceiling structureshown in Figure 2 showing the arrangement of the air conditioningelements within the ceiling structure; and

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic showing of the electrical circuit involved.

In Figure 1 there is shown generally at M an assembled telephone boothincluding a ceiling structure 12. Figures 2 and 3 show perspective viewsof this ceiling structure removed from the booth. The ceiling structureincludes a lower pan indicated by thenumeral 12 and upstanding sides 14,16, 18 and 20 connected thereto. Brackets 13 are connected to theupstanding sides 14 and 18 and provide for the mounting of the ceilingstructure in the booth.

A pair of partition plates 22 and 24 extend across the interior of theceiling structure from the front toward the rear of the booth. Thepartition plate 22 extends from the front flange 16 to the rear flange2d. The partition 24 extends from the front flange and terminates at 26at a distance from the rear flange 20. The two partition plates serve todivide the ceiling structure into compartments forming two passages.

A first of these compartments or passages is formed between thepartition plate 22 and the flanges 16, 18 and 20. This compartment islined with a suitable insulating material 28, which may be, for example,in the form of glass wool bats. Mounted within this compartment is arefrigerated coil 3% formed of a conventional serpentine tubearrangement passing through heat conducting fins. An opening in theceiling pan 12 at the forward end of this compartment is provided withlouvers 32 and is adapted to admit warm air from the booth into theinsulated compartment. A motor 34 and blowers 36 are positioned at therear end of the insulated compartment and are adapted to draw warm airfrom the booth through the louvered opening 32, through the refrigeratedcoils 30 and to force the air out through conditioned air outlets 38.Each of these conditioned air outlets 38 is provided with a plurality ofgrills 4% which may be made adjustable if desired in order to adjustablydirect the flow of conditioned air into the booth.

The second passage is provided by the space between the plates 22 and 24and the connecting space between the plate 24 and the flange 14 of theceiling pan 12. The space between the partition plates 22 and 24 isconnected through an opening 42 in the flange 16 of the ceiling pan anda suitable flexible connector 43 to louvers 44 in the front of thetelephone booth. A pan 46 is mounted in the space between the partitionplates 22 and 24 and is adapted by means of a passage 48 to collectcondensate which forms on the refrigerated coils 36?. An illuminatinglamp 5%) is mounted on the partition plate 22. A glass window 52 ismounted in the ceiling pan 12 below the lamp Sit to permit the passageof light from the lamp into the booth to provide booth illumination.

In the compartment between the partition plate 22 and the ceiling panflange 14 there is mounted a conventional type of refrigeratorcompressor unit 54, a condenser coil 56 similar to the refrigerated coil30 and a motor 53 driving blowers 60. The ceiling pan 12 is providedwith a downwardly extending depression $5 for the reception of thecompressor unit 54. The depression is provided in the corner of thebooth above the telephone 80. Flexible air conduit lines are connectedfrom the blowers 60 to outlet louvers 63 mounted in the front of thetelephone booth.

Operation of the blowers 60 will draw air from outside of the booththrough the inlet louvers 44 and through the compartment between thepartition plates 22 and 24 over the condensate pan 46 which is providedwith a few coils 66 forming a portion of the condenser line which servesto heat condensate which has accumulated in the tray 46 in order toinduce the evaporation thereof. The flow of air then passes over theilluminating lamp 5i cooling the lamp, and passes around the back end 26of the partition plate 24. The flow of air proceeds to cool thecompressor unit 54 and thereafter to pass through the condenser coils56. The air passing through the condenser coils 56 carries off the heataccumulated by the refrigerating system. The air leaving the condensercoils 56 is forced through the outlet tubes as by the blowers 6t} andthence through the outlet openings 63 to the ex terior of the booth.Dummy louvers 64 are provided to balance the external appearance of thebooth.

A switch '74, which is adapted to be closed when the telephone boothdoors are closed, is provided to control the. supply of electric currentto the apparatus described. A thermostatic control is provided in orderto control the minimum temperature of the refrigerated coils 30. Thisthermostatic control includes a conventional liquid filled bulbpositioned within the coils 3t) and connected by means of the tube 70 toa pressurev actuated switch 63 which serves to interrupt the flow ofcurrent to the cornpressor unit 54 when the temperature of therefrigerated coils 30 is below a predetermined value.

Within the booth there is shown a conventional telephone which ismounted above a suitable tray 82. An ash tray 84 is positioned on thetray 82 and is preferably recessed therein. A hood d6 extendingoutwardly from the wall of the booth is positioned above the ash trayand is connected by means of a conduit 88 to the chamber containing theblowers 60. It will be evident that by this arrangement smoke and fumesrising from the ash tray will be drawn through the conduit 88 anddischarged to the exterior of the booth through the flexible lines ozand the outlet louvers 63.

The electrical circuit is shown in Figure 4. Power from power supplylines 76 passes through a master control switch 78 to lines 30. The doorswitch 74 is connected in one of these lines and subsequent to the doorswitch there is connected across the lines the ceiling lamp 50, theblower motor 34 and the blower motor 58. Also connected across the powerlines 8i beyond the door switch 74 is the compressor unit 54 which iscontrolled individually by the thermostatically controlled switch 68.

It will be evident that when the booth is not in use and the doors ofthe booth are open there will be adequate change or recirculation of airwithin the booth, the relatively dense cooled air will flow out andfresh air will take its place. When the booth is in use the doors willbe closed and the air conditioning unit will be in operation.

The refrigeration system shown is preferably a hermetically sealedcapillary tube refrigeration system. However, it will be evident thatvarious refrigeration systems may be employed and similarly variousmodifications may be made in the elements of the particular systemshown. For example, the refrigerated coils and the condenser coils,which are shown as tubes carrying heat dissipating fins, may be replacedby press formed sheets resistance welded together providing passagesbetween the adjacent sheets. Whenever the word coil is used herein withrespect to either the condenser coil or the refrigerated coil,

it will be evident that any conventional type of heat ex-' change unitmay be employed in place thereof and the term coil is considered toapply to any conventional type of heat exchanger construction. It willbe evident that these and other modifications may be made to theembodiment of the invention disclosed herein Without departing from thescope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telephone booth including two side panels, a rear panel, a frontdoor and means for mounting a telephone in one rear corner of the booth;a compartmented ceiling structure comprising a pan and including adownwardly extending depression in the pan in the vicinity of said onecorner of the booth and means forming two passages above the pan, 2.first of the passages containing an air blower and a refrigerated coiland having an inlet for air communicating with the interior of the boothand an outlet for air communicating with the interior of the booth, theblower circulating air from the inlet, through the passage and therefrigerated coil to the outlet, and the second passage containing arefrigerator compressor unit positioned in said depression, condensercoils and a blower and having an inlet for air communicating with theexterior of the booth and an outlet for air communicating with theexterior of the booth, the blower circulating air from the inlet throughthe passage and the condenser coil to the outlet.

2. In a telephone booth, a compartmented ceiling structure including twopassages, a first of the passages containing an air blower and arefrigerated coil and having an inlet for air communicating with theinterior of the booth and an outlet for air communicating with theinterior of the booth, the blower circulating air from the inlet,through the passage and the refrigerated coil to the outlet, and thesecond passage containing a refrigerator compressor unit, condensercoils, a collector for collecting condensate from the refrigerated coil,an illuminating lamp and a blower in serial arrangement therein andhaving an inlet for air communicating with the exterior of the booth atthe front thereof and an outlet for air communicating with the exteriorof the booth at the front thereof, the blower circulating air from theinlet through the passage and the condenser coil, past the lamp, overthe condensate collector and to the outlet, and the ceiling structureincluding a light transmitting panel positioned below said illuminatinglamp to provide for illumination of the telephone booth therein whileheat from the lamp is dissipated to the exterior of the booth by saidlast mentioned circulating air.

3. In a telephone booth, a compartmented ceiling struc ture, the ceilingstructure including a first compartment positioned adjacent to one sideof the booth and containing a refrigerated coil, an inlet for aircommunicating with the interior of the telephone booth, an outlet forair communicating with the interior of the telephone booth and a blowerfor circulating air from the inlet through the refrigerated coil and tothe outlet, a second compartment positioned centrally of the ceilingstructure extending from the front toward the rear thereof andcontaining a lamp mounted substantially centrally thereof forilluminating the interior of the booth, a collector for collectingcondensate from the refrigerated coil and a passage for aircommunicating with the exterior of the booth, and a third compartmentpositioned adjacent to the other side of the booth and containing arefrigeration compressor unit, condenser coils and a passage for aircommunicating with the exterior of the booth, means providing for thepassage of air between the second and third compart- 'ments, and meanscirculating air through one of the air communication passages, throughthe last two mentioned compartments and through the other of the aircommunication passages.

4. In a telephone booth including two side panels, a rear panel, a frontdoor and means for mounting a telephone in one rear corner of the booth;a compartmented ceiling structure including two passages, a first of thepassages containing an air blower and a refrigerated coil and having aninlet for air communicating with the interior of the booth in thevicinity of the other rear corner thereof and an outlet for aircommunicating with the interior of the booth in the vicinity of thefront thereof, the blower circulating air from the inlet, through thepassage and the refrigerated coil to the outlet, and the second passagecontaining a refrigerator compressor unit, condenser coils and a blowerand having an inlet for air communicating with the exterior of the boothand an outlet for air communicating with the exterior of the booth, the

blower circulating air from the inlet through the passage and thecondenser coil to the outlet, and a conduit having one of its endsadapted to terminate above an ash tray adjacent to the telephonemounting means and having the other of its ends connected to said lastmentioned air circulating means to discharge smoke rising from the ashtray to the outside of the booth.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

